1
realdeal
philippines
The actors, both lead were great, their expression is spot on, tho kamiki is a bit exaggerated at times but takeru sato is growing into me as he nailed those dramatic scenes perfectly. I wish they had shown more of sometani, a freaking scene stealer, nailing that character to the bone, also one of the reasons why I wished this is a drama so that he can have more screen time, it is such a waste. Komatsu nana, I still don't know is she fits miho cause I have this strange vibe as I watched her, she has this face that can make you fall inlove with her and dump you after, what a scary woman. Takayuki Yamada my bias actor, but the most f*cked up character here, at first he is reserved then suddenly he became friendly, again not enough time to show how his character develops. Nakai, Hiramaru and expecially Fukuda are casted well, I know kiritani kenta can nail this character the momentI I saw him in the cast, and I was not disappointed, he made that character fun to watch.
Don't get me wrong it is still enjoyable, the editing is cool, but the pace is so fast like shinkasen train XD.
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The movie with theme "a girl who secretly likes a boy" is not new anymore but the idea of this girl who has this condition that lead to this theme is something new. The style of the director is fresh and I do like his technique that indie-sh vibe I mean. He manage to capture the setting well, those shots on nights are brilliant. I also like those romantic elements he put here like when yui move the post early morning so he see kouji face better and how the setting becomes grayish when kaoru(night girl) met kouji(morning boy) for the first time. Its the first time I saw romantic scenes so artistic like that, and that makes this movie special to me. The casting is on the spot too they cast a fresh face like yui and that is the best decision they make.
The acting is not that great but atleast they are convincing and no overating and like I said its like an indie movie. The music, now aside from the directing this is the best thing in this movie not just YUI's song but also the background music they used.
Do you have a movie that affects you the most? Well this movie is like that to me, I wont write this review after 10 years If I don't LOL.
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As for the title "100 Yen Love", don't let this title fool you, yes it sounds like a title for a cute romantic comedy film but it is nothing like that and you won't get that feeling here. Go watch it to know why the title is like that and see the transformation of main lead's character which will may inspire you.
The acting, what can I say Sakura Ando is indeed the greatest young japanese actress right today. I'm into contact sports myself and I can say that ando sakura put hard effort to look like a real boxer, her movements don't look fake unlike other sports dramas I've watched. Only a few actress can do or even think of doing roles ando sakura takes. Aside from Hirofumi Arai, I have not idea who the other actors are, but they act well especially her sister in the movie, watched out for that epic food fight.
WARNING!!!
it has both rape and nudity so stay away if you're a minor or a person who can't watch movies like this.
CONCLUSION
Go watch it because it was one of Sakura Ando's best performance and it was Japanese representative on the upcoming Oscars foreign movie category.
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This review may contain spoilers
Surprised!!!!I am surprised that I love this movie the same as I'm surprised that that cute little body of sakurako produce voice like that what a great singer she is. This is a semi spoiler but I like the way they teased us at the beginning she was like about to sing but sato takeru stopped her, then when the time she finally sings OMG haha and that look at sato takeru says it all.
I love how japan do their romance films like this...they blend meaningful dialogue with such great cinematography and soothing background music. It was directed by the same guy who directed taiyou no uta movie(not the drama) so you'll notice it has that same indie-sh vibe (the way they shot scenes, the cinematography, the music etc.) but it was more mainstream than taiyou not uta maybe the producers have something to do with that.
The acting is ok too from sato takeru to kubota to sorimachi and sakurako is not bad for a first timer and she really nailed those dramatic parts. The chemistry is great too..not a phenomenal pairing but they are cute together and that character by sakurako will become one of my favorite cute clumsy girl character on tv/movie XD.
Even if you don't read the manga you will enjoy this one....you just need to love japanese music.
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My opinion on sato takeru change from a so so actor to good capable actor and this was his best performance I must say and he deserves the best actor role on this. IF he continue do performance like this then he might join the ranks of those top class japanese actors. Haru kuroki is one of the best young japanese dramatic actress today and perhaps she is the best. Her acting here is like silent-but-deadly and she never overact and thats the best thing i notice on her.
The story is very engaging definitely one of the most inspiring drama's I saw and i love how they dramatize tokuzo akiyama who is a real person, his antics, his movements...I love it. I also like the way they manage those time skips it didnt feel rushed. The acting here was phenomenal even the foreign actors did well specially that french girl and I wanted to know what happen to her after. This wont become that much inspiring if not of this drama's music....they inserts right music at the right moment. I notice this in every episodes they will build up you emotion, just as you thought that was it but there still a final kicker at the end then BAM.
I didnt cry while watching this but i do feel like I wanna work more harder after. Watch it you wont regret it.
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It's only near the end of the movie or after 10+ dishes we learn that there's a conflict between the main character and her mom and her mom leaves without saying a word. This story is 4 parts (4 seasons) and 2 movies worth so you need to see these two movies to see how their conflict get resolved but that is not what important because end game is not this movie is about. I think that the director wants to show the human factor in this movie, human needs to adapt in order to survive. I think that's the main point here so I wouldn't mind if it has no plot.
It's a nice watch even if you don't consider this a movie, it's so relaxing, and it was like yoga but using your eyes. That fantastic cinematography and soothing music and that camera work make such a scene epic like that bicycle scene which is my favorite. The huge part of the dialogue is the narration it's a nice technique to make you live the life of the main character, you will experiences what it feels to live alone in a house surrounded by fields, mountains, trees and stream and how the changes in season affects her way of living. The main appeal of this movie is the cooking as she gathers each ingredient every season, I don't know how to cook but you might get some technique if you watch this, I love the music they used in each cooking scene btw.
I am not impressed by the acting but at least it's natural and convincing. The character of Ai Hashimoto here is different from her usual roles so it's nice to see a different side of her. It's a must watch if you are her fan. It's an Ai Hashimoto movie which most of the scenes she is there and you will realize how pretty that girl is without makeup, the camera really love her face, her screen presence is her best asset. Lastly one of the reasons why I love this movie is the song. I am a huge YUI fan and her new band sing the song in this movie, her vocals really fits the mood of this film, it's fantastic.
Watch this movie if you want something original and especially if you love cooking. It's also a relaxing movie (great music, wonderful cinematography, masterful camera work which is honestly one of the best camera work I've seen in a Japanese Movie).
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Some may say that this drama is not lengthy because its only 15 minutes each eps but even that it is freaking long, I feel like I became part of someones life(aki) lol. I'm not complaining here in fact i did enjoy this drama even its a long show it is addicting like chocolates. One more bite, one more episodes then I forgot what hour it is, I even forgot one the the biggest reasons why i watched this show which is ryuhei matsuda and mayu matsuoka. If I am not a busy guy i'm sure i will finish this 3 days minimum, but cause i have work it took me 2 weeks but its worth it.
To me it is basically a coming of age/slice of life/family drama with matching great scenery of countryside japan. In this story you will follow the main character aki and cheer her on whatever goal she has from catching sea urchins to becoming a nanbu diver and becoming an idol (whatever enters her mind). But the main point of the drama is how her character affects other people lives living with her. Its also one of the most complete drama that i have seen from comedy, drama, romance, achieving dreams, family conflicts etc. It was like an emotional roller coaster to me...at one point I was laughing then after I just realize that one scene touch me and i became sad. It is one of those drama that I highly recommend specially if your into japanese culture. Although I can't explain it but it has this feel good ambiance its easy watch..maybe the color, the music, the narration and the pacing have something to do with that i don't know.
script
I just cant believe how the story develops the script is freaking epic kudo kankuro is a genius. From catching sea urchin to becoming and idol then that tsunami then the home...I didn't see that coming specially that idol part. I just don't know how he created that world with that fun characters and how he make it appears real by having real events and real people affect the story. The dialogues were great too from comedy to when they have conflict part, aki's grandma speaks with sense all the time. I love how kankuro handles both over the top comedy part and serious part well..his trademark is when an emotional thing happen he inserts a WTF moment at the end the greatest example is during aki's first heartache. Aki was crying riding her bicycle with all her might with matching great music what a great scene that was then suddenly aki's bike fly then she dropped from the ocean, I was like what in the hell happen I don't know if he used it as a metaphor or what but its freaking epic kinda reminds me of the
"I CAN FLY" scene from ping pong in which he also did the script.
music
the music great too they have different music that suit different scenes, situations and emotions. Because its a long drama to make the music not become too repetitive they made different version of it. I love that opening jazzy pop music but my favorite is that violin theme they used on sad moments...that theme will be added to my list of my why-japan-your-drama/movie-ost-is-hard-to-find list..jeje. They used great songs too and even composed like shiosai no memories, gmt song, and the december caledar thingy( the dance routine of that song is so adorable kawaii).
the acting
I don't know who to praise the guys who cast rena nounen or rena nounen herself, her presence is the biggest reason why this show is huge phenomenon. She is like a kid in a teenagers body I love the way she suddenly cries when her mom hits her LMAO. In my books she became the most adorable kawaii character i watch on tv knocking satomi ishihara's koga haruka in h2. Kirsten stewart should study on how she shows different emotions on screen from sad, over the top sad, happy, over the top happy, curious, jealous, anger, dumb look etc. its too many. But i wont call her great actress yet cause it might become too hard for her to get out from this type of character I just can't imagine her doing serial killer, obsessed lover, rape victim, single mother role. But her role here is one of the most effective roles i have ever seen.
Ai hashimoto is a hit or miss actress in my opinion but she really nailed her character here. I feel the determination I feel the passion I feel the anger. I love how her characters develops and how she handles the change effectively but not losing the core of true yui. I am not surprised on how many people relates to her cause of Ai hashimoto spot on performance.
Koizumi kyoko the one who play aki's mom played the best performance imo. This is the first time i saw her or probably she was cast in drama's that I watched before just like did not standout but nevermind that here she plays that tough mother effectively. I also see that her performance here is one of the reasons why rena nounen is that adorable in this drama. The confrontation between her and aki, confrontation between her mom, her confrontation with futomaki those moments where key in this story and she really nailed that parts convincingly.
Ryuhei matsuda who wears that I don't give a f*ck face proves to me why he is one of the best in showing emotions without saying a single word or even moving a single muscle on his face. I love how he attacks his character and risk the danger of him becoming boring. Tho he made the character invisible you also can feel his passion on his work. I also love the relationship of him and ben-san..you can feel his respect towards his master, I love how they connect the polishing of stone to become a gem to his work on nurturing idols.
If we have villain in this drama then the closest would become furuta arata's futomaki...that actor always put on the spot acting he never disappoints me from simple mannerisms of putting his both hands under his armpits or that annoying laugh. He may appear a comic relief character here but you can feel the human side of his character.
there's plenty of side characters here too but most of them are accomplished actors like ex. taki pierre, denden, omi toshinori, fukikoshi mitsuru, yakushimaru hiroko with some great comedians all of them are memorable even ben-san which they describe as invisible character in the drama.
I also want to say I love the contrast between aki(the one with accent) and yui(the cute one) I think that contrast is the key for their chemistry. The sun and moon represention i think is the right way to describe them.
some performance changed my mind on some actors too..
Arimura kasumi - I thought she is just your girl next door kawaii face and thats it, but her performance here proves she can really act. Yes...she also did her trademark "surpise-kawaii-look" ( if you watch her in some shows you know what i mean) but she really nailed the dramatic part and I can really see the essence of her character.
Among the gmt members my favorite is mayu matsuoka, I find the one who played onodera the cutest but acting wise i will give this to that girl who played kyan eren. I even search about her and found out that she only did 2 movies and 1 drama she, probably she falls in this category of forgotten actress with potential but not given a break cause she is not that cute...jejejeje.
Next is the 2nd best performance IMO tetta sugimotto.....yes I know this character actor is great and capable but he is a real revelation here Just like furuta arata it looks like he is a comic relief character the GHOstBUSTERs part is really epic LMAO THAT FACE, but i can definitely feel his loved on this town and his work. Sugimotto put a memorable excellent performance in that tsunami episode...that moment got me teary eyed cause of the way they did that episode with no background music you really feel the emotions but the FINAL KICK that makes me cry is when sugimotto resurfaced from that tunnel that look in his face damn you can feel the pain I can't help but cry with him.
The negative things i can say in this drama is that the jeje thing becomes annoying at times and the story becomes less interesting specially before the homecoming part but nonetheless I still give this a 10 cause I have 2 more factors to consider in rating dramas which is how I enjoy it and how it affects me.
I knocks my boss, my hero out as my top 5 dramas of all time.
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Based on a shoujo manga most people will watch this just for that romantic part( you know those ppl who rate the movie based on how great the kiss was. But there are those who will see this being a coming of age film, they will rate this based on the human inter actions and how the setting affect the growth of character. Which one are you?
Basically the story was like a innocent pure girl who has this mommy issues didnt feel like she has this place where can say she belong there. So what will happen after that is it for you to see the movie. To me I understand the struggle of that main character so I'm surprised to learn that it was based on a manga.
Is this film boring.
Maybe. if you are into this just for the romantic part.
Spoilwrss
They did now show the kiss scene between characters...possible reason they want to protect rena nounen's image
Acting. I surprised that it is good actually based on a shojo manga didn't expect it to be this good.
I still haven't watched amachan so its my first time seeing Rena nounen I'm also sure that her character here is different cause there is no way amachan is this gloomy on how people describe the drama. Do you have a classmate in elementary that you always wants to tease cause she is too damn funny cute when she is angry? Rena nounen resembles that face.
The lead actor I don't know who the hell was that did a good job too. He played that tough yet caring character well.
Its not your typical movie based on a shoujo manga so I understand if most people won't like this one. It appears they decide to make the film looks artsy IMO with those visuals and music and also those silent moments. Maybe they want to put it on festivals.
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This may feel like a boring drama to you but trust me that wont be the case cause the drama develops fast but without ruining the story.
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As I watched the movie I must say that there is no freaking way in hell to tell that this was based on true story because some characters are exagerrated like as if they were straight from a Manga. Like for example...who the hell in real life is that boner guy and who walks nude in their home. Hahaha
About the movie its a feel good movie no boring moment IMO and the timespan was well done. The main strong points of this movie like I mentioned above was the chemistry between characters and that inspiring ending.
The characters
The main guy, the d*ck arrogant friend, the fat dude, the groin corny guy and lastly my favorite and IMO the most funny of them all, the boner guy. Them together is a fun watch...their antics and their favorite hobby(which is masturbation) makes me LOLed so hard. This movie also have lots of reference to manga like hanamichi sakuragi hairstyle and the Dempsey roll move.
The ending
Good or bad you decide but to me its good because of how inspiring it is and I admit being a guy this ending got me it makes me teary eyed a bit.
I recommend this movie to all guys in the world.
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first IMO there are factors to make a romantic movie successful.
1. The guy should be likable, I should imagine myself as i am the guy in this movie
I must say that I already watched jay chou in some movies and those movies makes me think that he is a bad actor. I am talking about initial D(which IMO should not exist) and green hornet. So I hesitate watching this movie because this number 1 factor I think is impossible but i was wrong it is not difficult to sink to his character and made me think he is me. Tho I think jay chou suck at one scene....the first time she and the female lead met, His reaction is overacting as f*ck.
2. I should fall in love with the girls character
This #2 factor is what made me love this movie. The female lead is a simple girl that becomes really pretty when she smiles. I also like her cheerful character that appears somewhat weak. It makes me wanna protect her.
3. The setting should be realistic
Now this IMO the biggest weakness of the movie. Its hard to imagine their school exist in real life. In fact at first I thought it is a harry potter music school, their uniform, characters and event that happen is harry potter-ish even the ambiance.
The story at first I already get a hint that she is somewhat not part of that world. This might be because of the way they shot some scenes and she is always with the guys character...this is a give away. The concept is genius but they failed to execute it well. This concept is somewhat similar to beautiful mind starring russell crowe , where that movie execute that concept well and this movie secret didn't. The script is genius but also amateur-ish, like they didn't care about plot holes as long as the scene is dramatic...example is the chalk writing that appears in guys desk near the end of the movie. Yes that is a dramatic scene but also a huge plot hole in the movie not just a plot hole but also a somewhat misleading scene that made me think she is a ghost. Without that scene this might be a better movie. Also that ending picture at the end WTF another huge plot hole just to have a more dramatic ending.
Now for the things the I like about this film
Music..
"music can tell thousand stories, music can portrays different emotions"
The piano battle...that scene alone makes this movie worth watching, That one hand technique by that main guy is epic he totally owned the other guy in their battle. I don't care about the songs used in this film I just don't feel the essence, Its the background music the makes this film a nice film to watch specially that music played during the first time the girl time traveled.
Probably I will watch this again with my girlfriend and see what her reaction about this.
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If your a guy like me i just wanna say that the first minutes of the movie might look too much girly like they bake cakes, talk about crushes and have friends etc. Just go on continue watching and watch the development of these two main characters and the twist might surprise you..like "WTF i didnt see that coming", that "WTF i didnt see that coming" factor makes this movie IMO special to any movie in this genre. I enjoy watching this film, yes its slot but I like the colors and the music they played in the movie. Its a movie that the longer I think about it the better my opinion about it becomes. The acting I don't have a problem, tho this types of characters are not that complicated to play and both female leads have great chemistry so their own characters appears authentic. I really like the casting here they choose actors with very different appearance to suits their characters with very different personality and that in my opinion is a very genius move by the producers.
-a nice movie to watch after a busy work
-a nice movie to watch before sleeping
-one of the best coming of age films i've seen
-a movie with a "WTF I didnt see that coming" twist
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This review may contain spoilers
A thriller/human drama movie but its more of human drama that touches my heart by the help of powerful performances by the actors. I watched this movie cause i'm a big fan of doona bae but not just doona bae but all of them shines in the movie, a powerful masterful acting i have ever seen. I don't know who the other actors are but they did a masterful way of portraying each of their own characters, specially the father, the grandma and the abused girl. The father did a really convincing way of portraying this type of character, a cliche type of character who beat her own daughter when he is drunk and he and doona bae had some intense scenes in the movie. That baddass grandma...those foul words, the way she rides that motorcycle that can anytime sends her to hell and the way she talks, in short her character is the epitome of a bad grandma and her portrayal is so epic that stole some scenes in the movie. The abused girl who will make any person care for her you will understand why the main character becomes so attached to her. I was impressed by this actress who makes this character fragile yet is also mysterious...the look in her eyes and that way she smiles is freaky. Lastly doona bae, a "I-wanna-protect-someone-yet-i-have-my-own-problems", a "strong-outside-soft-inside" character...who can play this better than doona bae? and I forgot she's also playing a lesbian character in the movie. If the scenes needs intensity she can deliver if the scenes needs to be calm she can do it and heck if the scene needs a bit of sexiness she can give it, a dream actress by any director and this performance solidifies my opinion that doona bae right now is the greatest asian actress alive. Also the main strong points of this movie is the chemistry of the main lead the abused girl...everytime they were together produced powerful emotions on screen, like for example the moment the main actress discovers the bruises on the girl back DAMN that scene will haunt me for a long time and that is my favorite scene of the movie. They have sad moments but they also had this cute moments together those moments will leave smile on your face and gives little light to this dark movie we are watching and this might be a little spoiler-ish but when the girl copies the haircut of the lead they become a "bobcut poweracting duo" (cute scene). Not a perfect movie due to some plot holes that you'll understand when you watch the movie, but nonetheless a very good movie.watch it if you want...
-movies with masterful acting
-movies that tackles problem in our society (discrimination, child abuse, Illegal immigration)
-one of the best doona bae performance ever and i have seen almost all.
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I will just make this review short by comparing this movie to gokusen or gto. Gto or gokusen is like an apple, this movie is a case of a rotten apple but I do love rotten apple better because I M-A-Y eat the apple but I D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y wont eat the rotten apple.
now I need to see the drama......
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I often tell my friends that if you want to learn more about Japanese culture don't watch anime but watch Japanese movies instead and this film is the very best example of that. Watching this movie will open your eyes about this kind of culture in Japan and on how they cut trees. The act is treated with respect (respect to the forest and forest god) and not just cut a tree then plant after which what I was only aware before watching this movie. The last part of the film is holy freaking moment, a combination of epic and comedy gold.
I watch this film because I am a fan of Shota Sometani and I was not disappointed and though the film's strength is the story it still one of his most important role to date. His performance here is not on par with his performance in Himizu but in this movie he proves he can also do comedic roles, his timing is just great. This film is in my opinion his best film to date and yes even better than Himizu. As for Ito Hideaki, the last film I've seen from him was Lesson of Evil which is such an epic movie. If you love Battle Royale and blood in your movies I highly recommend it. He had a great performance in Lesson of evil but I was more impressed with his performance here, he is such a badass and this movie is not even an action or a Yakuza film, it's a coming of age/slice of life movie lol. The chemistry between them is just great they are the total opposites, one is rugged type dirty guy and the other is like a girl and totally weak but once both of them are on screen there is such a magnetic force between them. You will enjoy Sometani's character development here. Given this film has two great actors and combined it with awesome chemistry makes this movie one hell of a ride.
Overall a great coming of age movie, relaxing to eyes visually and relaxing to ears with its music. A great movie if you want to learn more about Japanese Culture. If you love Departures, The Great Passage, Waterboys, Linda Linda etc. this movie is similar and has a similar vibe.
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